Monash Wellbeing Report

Community Wellbeing Reports contain a select number of community wellbeing indicators which are used to highlight important trends and issues in the community. These reports provide a snapshot of the wellbeing of individual municipalities with comparisons to regional and statewide results.

The City of Monash is located 20km south east of Melbourne's central business district. It is culturally diverse, with 37% of its residents coming from more than 30 countries. Population growth is slowing and the profile is aging. Monash has a range of commercial activity and shopping centres, like Glen Waverley, Oakleigh and Mount Waverley. The city also has a large industrial area and research institutions, like Monash University and the CSIRO.

The main industries include machinery and equipment wholesaling, other chemical product manufacturing, printing and services to printing, motor vehicle and part manufacturing.

Subjective Wellbeing

Subjective Wellbeing was measured in the 2011 VicHealth Indicators Survey using the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index (AUWBI). Respondents were asked to rate their satisfaction with their lives on a number of domains resulting in an aggregated Personal Wellbeing Index ranging between 0-100.

Normative data from the AUWBI indicates that the average Personal Wellbeing Index for Australians is approximately 75. In comparison, the average Personal Wellbeing Index for persons living in Monash was 76.8 in 2011, while the Eastern Metro Region average was 78 and the Victorian State average was 77.5.

Feeling Part of the Community

Community Connection was measured in the 2011 VicHealth Survey. Respondents were asked to rate their satisfaction with feeling part of their community and answers are presented according to a 0-100 range.

Normative data from the AUWBI indicates that the average Community Connection score for Australians is approximately 70. In comparison, the average Community Connection score for persons living in Monash was 70.9 in 2011, while the Eastern Metro Region average was 71.4 and the Victorian State average was 72.3.

Social and Support Networks

Social Support was measured in the 2008 Dept of Planning & Community Development. Respondents were asked if they could get help from friends, family or neighbours when they needed it, either definitely, sometimes or not at all.

91.8% of persons living within Monash reported that they could definitely get help from friends, family or neighbours when they needed it, as compared to 91.1% in the Eastern Metro Region.

Child Health Assessments

Child Health Assessments are routinely undertaken by the Maternal and Child Health Service in Victoria to monitor child health and development. Ten visits are anticipated according to key ages and stages until a child reaches 3.5 years of age. Data relating to the activities of the Maternal and Child Health Service are collated on a financial year basis by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

The rate of participation for children eligible for an assessment at 3.5 years was 66.1% in Monash in the 2013-14 Dept of Eduction and Training, compared to 67.9% in the Eastern Metro Region and the Victorian State average of 65.4%.

Healthy Safe and Inclusive Communities - Personal and Community Safety

Perceptions of Safety

Perceptions of Safety were measured in the 2011 VicHealth Indicators Survey. Respondents were asked to rate how safe they felt when walking alone in their local area during the day and at night.

When walking alone in their local area during the day 98.1% of persons in Monash felt safe or very safe, compared to 98.3% in the Eastern Metro Region and the Victorian State average of 97%.

When walking alone at night 73.4% of persons in Monash felt safe or very safe, compared to 71.6% in the Eastern Metro Region and the Victorian State average of 70.3%.

Respondents who stated that they were never alone in the particular situation were not asked to give their perception of how safe they might feel in the situation, and are excluded from the calculation of the proportions.

Home Internet Access

Home Internet Access was measured in the 2011 Australian Bureau of Statistics. Respondents were asked to indicate if the Internet could be accessed from their dwelling, and if so, whether access was via a dial up or broadband connection.

In Monash, 83.1% of persons lived in households that had Internet access of any form at their dwelling, compared to 84.3% in the Eastern Metro Region and the Victorian State average of 79.6%.

Of the total population of Monash, 77.9% lived in households that had home Internet access via a broadband connection, compared to 78.5% in the Eastern Metro Region and the Victorian State average of 72.4%.

Destinations of School Leavers

The activities of young people who have left school have been sourced from 2011 Australian Bureau of Statistics. These data describe the level of engagement in work and study activities of 15-19 year-olds who are not attending school. This population can be categorised into three major groups: fully engaged school leavers are defined as those who are involved in work and/or non-school study (including university, TAFE and vocational training) on a full-time basis; disengaged school leavers are defined as those who are not involved in any work or study activities at all; and the remaining school leavers are defined as partly engaged. The percentage of fully engaged and disengaged school leavers are presented below.

Engaged or Disengaged: In Monash, 87.1% of 15-19 year-old school leavers were fully engaged in work or non-school study, compared to 81.1% in the Eastern Metro Region and the Victorian State average of 72%. Furthermore, 6.8% were disengaged, compared to 9.2% in the Eastern Metro Region and the Victorian State average of 15%.

Highly Skilled Workforce

A skilled workforce in a community is an essential component of a strong local economy. For this indicator, highly skilled has been defined as ossupations with ANZSCO Skill Levels 1-3. The data have been collated from customised Census tables obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

61.3% of employed persons working in Monash worked in highly skilled occupations compared to 58% in the Eastern Metro Region and the Victorian State average of 57.3%.

Income

Median Equivalised Household Income has been calculated from the 2011 Australian Bureau of Statistics. Equivalising income adjusts the total income of the household according to the number of persons and household type.

Median Equivalised Gross Weekly Household Income for Monash was $775, compared to $837 in the Eastern Metro Region and the Victorian State average of $749.

Food Security

Food Security was measured in the 2011 Victorian Population Health Survey. Respondents were asked if there had been any times in the previous 12 months when they had run out of food and could not afford to buy more.

2.7% of persons living in Monash had experienced food insecurity, compared to 4.1% in the Eastern Metro Region and the Victorian State average of 4.6%.

Educational Qualifications

Educational qualifications are an important resource enabling individuals and their communities an opportunity to engage in the knowledge economy. The percentage of people living in Monash who had Tertiary or TAFE qualifications has been calculated from the 2011 Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Of those living in Monash, 63.3% of persons aged 25 years and over had tertiary or TAFE qualifications, compared to 63.1% in the Eastern Metro Region and the Victorian State average of 56.3%.

Educational Qualifications

Educational qualifications are an important resource enabling individuals and their communities an opportunity to engage in the knowledge economy. The percentage of people living in Monash who had Tertiary or TAFE qualifications has been calculated from the 2006 Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Of those living in Monash, 58.3% of persons aged 25 years and over had tertiary or TAFE qualifications, compared to 58.2% in the Eastern Metro Region and the Victorian State average of 50.7%.

Adequate Work-Life Balance

Work-Life Balance was measured in the 2011 VicHealth Indicators Survey. Employed respondents were asked whether they agreed that "their work and family life often interfere with each other".

57.1% of employed persons living in Monash disagreed or strongly disagreed that their work and family life often interfere with each other, and felt that they had a good balance of work and family. This is compared to 56.7% in the Eastern Metro Region and the Victorian State average of 53.1%.

Housing Affordability

One measure of Housing Affordability has been calculated through the 2011 Australian Bureau of Statistics. The data show the percentage of households spending 30% or more of their gross household income on rent or mortgage payments.

18.9% of households in Monash were spending 30% or more of gross household income on rent or mortgage payments, compared to 18.5% in the Eastern Metro Region and the Victorian State average of 20.4%.

Waste Water Recycling

Household Water Conservation was measured in the 2011 VicHealth Indicators Survey. Respondents were asked if their household had engaged in a list of water conservation methods, including the collection of waste water from washing machines, showers or sinks.

49.3% of persons living in Monash were in households that collect waste water, compared to 39.9% in the Eastern Metro Region and the Victorian State average of 41.3%.

Household Waste Recycling

Data on Household Waste Recycling are obtained from an annual survey conducted by Sustainability Victoria which collects information on the kerbside service activities provided by local government. An average of 488.1kg of garbage was collected per household from kerbside collections in Victoria in 2010-11.

57% of household waste collected in kerbside collections in Monash was recycled in 2010-11, compared to the Victorian State average kerbside recycling rate of 45%.

Participation in Arts and Cultural Activities

Participation in Arts and Culture was measured in the 2011 VicHealth Indicators Survey. Respondents were asked if they had participated in a range of activities in the previous month, including painting, drawing, art and craft, playing musical instruments, singing, writing and performing.

71.7% of persons in Monash had participated in at least one of the selected artistic and cultural activities in the previous month, compared to 70.5% in the Eastern Metro Region and the Victorian State average of 63.6%.

Community Acceptance of Diverse Cultures

Victorians' opinions on Cultural Diversity were measured in the 2007 CIV Survey. Respondents were asked if they agreed that "it is a good thing for a society to be made up of people from different cultures".

94.4% of persons in Monash agreed or strongly agreed that cultural diversity is a good thing for a society, compared to 92.1% in the Eastern Metro Region and the Victorian State average of 89.4%.

Acceptance of Multiculturalism

Victorians' opinions on Cultural Diversity were measured in the 2011 Dept of Health & Human Services. Respondents were asked if they agreed that "it is a good thing for a society to be made up of people from different cultures".

58.2% of persons in Monash agreed or strongly agreed that cultural diversity is a good thing for a society, compared to 57.1% in the Eastern Metro Region and the Victorian State average of 51%.

Participation in Citizen Engagement

Data on the participation of Victorians in selected forms of Citizen Engagement were collected in the 2011 VicHealth Indicators Survey. Respondents were asked if they had attended a town meeting or public hearing, met, called or written to a local politician, joined a protest or signed a petition in the previous 12 months.

41.7% of persons in Monash had engaged in at least one of the selected activities in the previous year, compared to 49.4% in the Eastern Metro Region and the Victorian State average of 50.5%.